Long Point purchased by Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust

The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust (YEPT) has secured the purchase of a large 50ha block of land at Long Point in the Catlins. This means that 12k’s of coastline including the surf break at Long Point is now protected.
David from the YEPT assured me over several conversations that they look forward to working with surfers and other groups. He said that both the Trust and DOC are committed to ensuring legal / as of right access for the public to Long Point and allowing surfing at the point to continue. At the moment the vehicle access onto the point is at the discretion of the landowner; but they hope in the future to provide a carpark (probably in the vicinity of the Manuka memorial, and walking access along the top of the cliffs around to where the Trust reserve begins. This means the road to the beach will close, but a 10-15 minute walking track to the point will be created. He wants to ensure that the interactions between surfers (and other users) and penguins and other wildlife are positive. One of his big concerns relates to dogs being taken into reserve areas. There are important yellow-eyed penguin colonies on both sides of Long Point, although those that surfers most often will see are those on the western side.